This week’s gospel is one of the hardest passages in all of the New Testament, I think. It has more than a little bit of a silver lining, though, for those of us to whom God has entrusted the means for a privileged lifestyle. Of course, it involves giving that up.
Now rich is not something the Gospels often associate with Jesus. Usually Jesus is found caring for, teaching about, and living among the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. Indeed, I would argue that Matthew 25 establishes the sacramental presence of Jesus in the poor in exactly the same way a sacramental presence is established in the bread and wine in Matthew 26.
I am not a poor person, and if I were to be honest, the truth is I have no desire to be one. By the world’s standards I am materially rich indeed. It does leave some uncomfortable questions about how I relate to God and, indeed, whether God cares about me the same way as God cares about the poor.
Mark 10, though not easy, provides a grace-filled answer. A rich man once approached Jesus, knelt, and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ answer, though it may not seem like it at first, is full of good news for the rich among us.
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mk. 10:21-23)
Now, as someone who has more than a little, this sounds like not such good news to me, I will admit. Could that be because I am not looking at it with the eyes of the kingdom of God?
The first thing I would point out is that Jesus has not forgotten about the wealthy. We are not left out. There is a way for us. It isn’t an easy way, to be sure, but there is a way. After all, what worthwhile is easy?
The second thing is that point is, at least in this story, not so much the good of the poor but the good of the rich. It’s about helping us be free enough to follow Jesus. As the passage goes on to show, there are lots of things, not the least of which are possessions and even family, that can hold us back. All of them are things we think of as good. It is hard for those with wealth to enter the kingdom of God. A lot of the things I was taught to be thankful for growing up have to be given up and replaced with other things to be thankful for.
The main thing to note, though, is the way this passage begins. It is a detail that might well go unnoticed at first. Maybe it’s because we take it for granted. We shouldn’t.
Before giving the hard teaching he gave to the rich man about giving away all his possessions, Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus did not take him for granted. He looked at him. And his counsel, though hard, is fundamentally and primarily loving. It is all based on love. In this case it is Jesus’ love of the rich.
There is hope for us.
Agape,
+ Stacy
Bishop Stacy Sauls
Founder and President
Love Must Act